Buying An iPhone 7? Consider 1MORE's MK802 Bluetooth Headphones

I previously wrote a detailed overview of 1MORE. You can read the full scoop here, but in a nutshell, the company is on a mission to disrupt the headphone industry by offering high quality, “over-engineered” gear without the high markups employed by leaders like
Apple’s Beats.

I’ve had the opportunity to try out a range of 1MORE headphones for extended periods and the products do live up to the claims. They offer competitive sound quality and have lasted through the kind of abuse only a trio of teenagers can inflict.

MK802 Bluetooth Headphones: Like the MK801s, but Wireless

When I was testing a collection of 1MOREheadphones earlier this year, I was particularly fond of the MK801 over-ear headphones.

They were comfortable, very adjustable (including four-way rotating ear cups), solidly constructed, sweat-resistant and the audio performance was excellent, thanks to innovations like 40mm polymer PEEK diaphragms. The red metallic finish of my review unit was extremely attractive. They made a great alternative for Beats fans, offering style and custom-tuned audio with a nice bit of bass kick.

1MORE’s MK802 Bluetooth headphones look almost identical to the MK801s, including that same Fire Engine Red finish (Electric Blue is also offered).

On close examination, there are visual clues that they are in fact different, beside the obvious lack of cables. On the left ear cup, a Micro-USB port discretely integrated into the bottom of the cup is used for charging and there’s a Bass toggle switch that lets you instantly boost or minimize low end response. On the right cup are buttons for music control, power and a programmable “1MORE” button (more on that later).

With the same basic design as the MK801s, the MK802s are just as comfortable and also offer custom tuning, but the drivers have been upgraded with Beryllium plating for more accurate mids and highs. 1MORE also supplies a 3.5mm Kevlar core cable with inline controls (there’s a jack on the right ear cup) so you can use them as wired headphones if you choose, or if the battery runs out. The inline remote includes a microphone for taking voice calls.

Also included withe the MK802s are the USB charge cable, and a carrying bag.

Battery life is rated at 15 hours and that was about what I saw: two days of solid nine-to-five use before the red light warning of low battery began to flash.

Plus Some Extras

The bass switch on the MK802 Bluetooth headphones is a feature I really appreciated. I switch between musical genres frequently and the most frequent EQ change I make is to boost the bass when I hit the electronic stuff. Being able to reach up and instantly switch between flat, boosted or lower bass without fussing with my phone is really handy.

1MORE also published a free 1MORE Assistant app for iOS and Android. Used with the MK802 headphones, the app has some very useful features. Hearing Protection is an option that lets parents limit the maximum volume on the headphones. Smart Burn-in is an interesting function that runs the headphones through a series of audio sequences to automate and accelerate the burn-in process. Not everyone buys in to the need to burn-in new headphones but having it as a ‘push a button and forget it’ app function is a neat idea.

Perhaps the most intriguing is a function that ties in to the 1MORE button on the MK802 headphones, letting you assign it to launch a specific app. Selection is limited (on my iPhone the choices were Apple’s Camera app, Music, Tunein Radio and
Twitter) but it’s kind of cool. I assigned it to the Music button and sure enough, pushing the button on the headphones automatically launches the Music app on my iPhone where it begins playing tracks from my local library in a random sequence.

I’m usually not a fan of the audio prompts and alerts that many Bluetooth devices use. Too often they seem to be an exercise in explosive racket-making, but the MK802’s startup is actually kind of cool. Power them on and there’s a symphonic “1More” chorus, followed by key information: pairing status and whether hearing protection is enabled or not.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a new pair of Bluetooth headphones --perhaps to replace your old-school wired cans after an iPhone 7 purchase-- the 1MORE MK802 Bluetooth headphones are worth checking out.

Compared to the new Beats Solo3 headphones Apple promoted at its iPhone 7 launch event, you give up a few features: the MK802s lack Apple’s new M1 chip and Siri integration, they don’t fold and battery life is significantly lower. However, you don’t sacrifice style or comfort, audio performance should make most listeners happy and the MK802s offer a few unique tricks of their own. And at $149.99 (at time of writing down to $129.99 direct) compared to the $299.95 price tag for Beats Solo3, the 1MORE MK802 Bluetooth headphones are a compelling alternative.

About Me: My primary mission will be to guide readers in the quest to master their Apple gear. In addition, I’ll be reviewing accessories, gadgets and consumer electronics and providing commentary on the world of consumer technology. I began my career at the Richard Ivey Bus...